Girdle



Oct. 10,, 1944. J. A. AMYOT GIRDLE Filed Dec. 11, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mveN-ro'R L.J.A.AMYOT Oct. 10, 1944. L. J. A. AMYOT GIRDLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 11, 1941 i7 mvemoa L.J-A-AMYO1' B ATTORNEY .1 -wl. \HMMMAH- H M A x i H HAM m W1 N F Patented Oct. 10, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in girdles and materials used in the manufacture thereof.

One of the principal difficulties experienced in the manufacture of girdles is the provision of a neat and comfortably fitting waist portion which possesses sufflcient stiffness to resist permanent crimping or curling thereof by bending and other movements of the wearer, The best method now known for overcoming this difficulty consists in making the upper edge of a girdle in the form of a narrow, fiat, tubular band containing a plurality of short vertically extending stiffening elements spaced around the circumference of the garment. Various waist-stiffened girdles of this type have been proposed and adopted but the present invention relates, more particularly, to improvements in waist-stiffened girdles of the type disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 395,176, filed May 26, 1941, which matured into Patent 2,287,222 on June 23, 1942. Girdles made in accordance with the invention disclosed in said application are characterized in that the band forming portion is woven integral with the body portion and contains stiffening elements made of cord stiffened pieces of textile fabric, said band forming portion comprising two lip sections having their upper edges sewn together and their lower edges woven integral with the body portion of the girdle. This method of making the' band by sewing together the upper edges of two opposing lip sections has certain manufacturing advantages as compared with similar waist-stiffened girdles in which the corresponding band is woven as a complete tube during the weaving of the body forming portion of the girdle or material from which the girdles are to be made. On the other hand, the formation of the band by sewing together the upper edges of the band forming lip sections as disclosed in my prior application has the disadvantage of presenting an unsightly seam at the extreme upper edge of the garment and this seam must be covered by a b'nding strip to improve the appearance of the garment and to guard against opening of the seam due to wear. The application of the binding strip increases the bulkiness of the upper edge of the girdle and forms an unc mfortable ridge which presses into'the body of the wearer.

The main purpose of the present invention is to provde an improved form of girdle which is free of the objections noted in connection with girdles made in accordance with my aforesaid prior application, To this end the material used in the fabrication of girdles made in accordance with the present invention is woven so as to provide a body section, a first lip section woven integral with the upper edge of the body section and a second lip section woven integral with the upper edge of the first mentioned lip section, said material being woven so as to provide a definite fold line or hinge connection at the juncture of the two lip sections. In fabricating a girdle made of this material the second lip section is folded downwardly along the aforesaid fold line or hinge connection to a position overlying one side, preferably the inner side, of the first lip section. Vertically extending stiffening members are interposed between the two opposing lip sections and the latter are then secured together by lines of stitching arranged to hold the stiffening members in place. This method of forming, folding and joining the lip sections provides, in effect, a fiat, two-ply band which presents a finished seamless appearance along that portion of the band which constitutes the extreme upper edge of the girdle. The lip sections are made of substantial width so that the folded lip section, when disposed at the inner side of the girdle, does not press into the body'of the wearer in the same manner as the relatively narrow ridge formed by the binding strip which is applied to the upper edge of the band formed by lip sections joined together in accordance with the invention disclosed in my prior application. In some cases the lower edge of the second or folded lip section may be sewn to the lower edge of the first mentioned lip section or to a portion of the body section adjacent the lower edge of said first mentioned lip section. In this case a flat, tubular band is formed by stitching the lower edge of the second lip section in place after the two lip sections have previously been joined together by lines of stitching which serve to hold the stiffening members in place.

Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a method of fabricating material for use in the manufacture of waist-stiffened girdles which lends itself to the provision of desir able reinforced edges at the lower edge of the body section and at the upper edge of the first mentioned lip section and at both the upper and lower edges of the second mentioned lip section.

The foregoing, as well as other objects, advantages and characteristic features of this invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a complete waiststiffened girdle made in accordance with said invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view illustrating the weave of the material from which the girdle shown in the preceding figures is fabricated.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, my improved girdle comprises a woven body section 5, a lip section 6 woven integral with the upper edge of the body section 5 and a second lip section 1 woven integral with the upper edge of the first mentioned lip section 6. In fabricating this garment the lip section 1 is first folded downwardly into opposing relation with one side (preferably the inner side) of the lip section 6. This provides a two-ply band along the upper edge of the body section 5 and this band is stiffened against permanent crimping or curling by suitable stiffening members 8 arranged between the component plies thereof. The two band forming plies or lip sections 6 and 1 are then joined together by lines of stitching 8a and 811 (Fig. 1) which are arranged to hold the stiffening members 8 in place. In this connection it will be noted that each line of stitching 8a extends around the lower end and upwardly along the sides of one of the stiffening members 8 while each line of stitching 8b extends along and through the central portion of one of the stiffening members. In some cases the lines of stitching 8b may be omitted, in which event each stiffening member will be held in place solely by the line of stitching 8a. It will also be understood that each line of stitching 8a may also be arranged as in Fig. 3 so that it actually passes through the side and lower end portions of each stiffening member.

As shown more particularly in Figs. 1 and 3,

, each stiffening member 8 preferably consists of a relatively long and narrow vertically extending piece of textile fabric stiffened by a group of closely spaced vertically extending textile stiffening cords 9. The stiffenin elements 8 are preferably provided with straight upper end edges ID of substantial length and convexly curved lower end edges II. It will be understood, however, that conventional stiffening bones or other suitable forms of stiffening elements may be used in place of the textile stiffening elements 8.

In some cases the lower edge of the folded lip section 1 is secured by a line of stitching 1a (Fig. 2) either to the lower edge portion of the lip section 6 or to an adjacent portion of the body section 5. In most cases the lip sections are simply joined together along the lines of stitching 8a and/or 8b which serve to hold the stitching members 8 in place.

The material used in the fabrication of the girdle shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive is preferably made as illustrated in Fig. 4. As shown in this last mentioned figure the same weft yarns M are employed for forming the weft of the body section 5 and the two lip sections 6 and 1. The weft yarns M are preferably made of rubber, Lastex or other material possessing considerable elastic stretch but this is not absolutely essential since, if desired, the weft l4 may be composed of relatively non-stretchable textile yarns of any suitable material.

Each of the lip sections 6 and 1 is made of two sets of warp yarns respectively indicated at I! and IS. The yarns l5 are finer and lighter in weight as compared with the yarns l5 and the latter are finer and lighter 'in weight as compared with the warp yarns l1 of the body section 5. Preferably, the relation between the size and weight of the warp yarns I1 provided in the body section 5 and the size and weight of the warp yarns l5 and 16 provided in each of the lip sections 6 and 1 is such that the tube portion of the garment formed by the folding and sewing of the lip section 1 will have substantially the same weight and strength as the body section 5.

The yarns I5 of each of the lip sections 6 and 1 are preferably made of rubber, "Lastex or other elastic material. These yarns l5 are preferably provided with a covering of rayon or other suitable covering material. The yarns I6 of each lip section are preferably bare rayon yarns which are arranged in pairs between adjacent yarns l5. In this connection it will be noted that the weft 14 in the lip sections 6 and 1 pass over both of the yarns l6 which are arranged between adjacent yarns l 5. It will also be noted that the weft 14 passes over two yarns l1 at the lower edge of the body section 5, over two yarns l5 at the upper edge of the lip section 6, over two yarns l5 at the lower edge of the lip section 1 and over two yarns l5 at the upper edge of lip section 1.- In this way reinforced edges are provided at the lower edge of the body section 5, at the upper edge of lip section 6 and at both the upper and lower edges of lip section 1. It will also be noted that the portion of the weft M which connects the upper reinforced edge of lip section 6 to the reinforced edge at the lower edge of lip section 1 provides a predetermined fold line or hinge connection A which facilitates folding of the lip section 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2.

The warp yarns H of body section 5 are preferably the same as the warp yarns I 5 of the lip sections; that is to say, the warp yarns I 1 are made of rubber, Lastex or other stretchable material with or without a covering of rayon or the like.

Owing to the circumferential direction of the elastic warp yarns included therein the finished girdle will cling closely to the figure of the wearer so that both the waist and body portions are neatly fitting. The circumferential elastic warp yarns in the lip or waist section of the garment also provides, in conjunction with the vertically extending cords of the reinforcing elements 8, a stretchable stiffened waist portion which closely hugs the figure of the wearer at all times and yields readily to bending movements of the wearer while preventing permanent crimping or curling of the waist portion due to such bending movements.

It may also be pointed out that, even when the weft yarns used in the body and lip sections are inherently non-stretchable, the weave of the fab- 4 I10 is such as to permit the finished garment to have a limited stretch in the vertical direction thereof.

The fine rayon threads l6 incorporated in the lip sections 6 and 1 serve as filling threads in these sections of the fabric and also assist in giving such sections the same strength as the body section 5 despite the fact that the elastic warp yarns l5 used in the lip sections are finer than the warp yarns 11 of the body section.

Having thus described what I now conceive to lip section joining the upper edge of the body section and a second lip section joining the upper edge of the first lip section, both lip sections being of substantial width and the second lip section being folded to lie opposite the first lip section and being secured in place to provide a twoply waist band forming the entire upper circumferential marginal portion of the garment, the relation between the size and weight of the warp yarns in the body section and the size and weight of the warp yarns in each of the lip sections being such that the two-ply waist band has substantially the same warp-weight and warpstrength characteristics as the body section.

2. A girdle comprising a woven tubular member which completely encircles the body of the wearer, said member comprising a singl set of vertically extending weft yarns and a plurality of sets of circumferentially extending warp yarns interwoven with the weft yarns to define three integral sections including a body section, a first lip section joining the upper edge of the body section and a second lip section joining the upper edge of the first lip section, both lip sections being of substantial width and the second lip section being folded to lie opposite the first lip section and being secured in place to provide a two-ply waist band forming the entire upper circumferential marginal portion of the garment,

said girdle being provided with reinforced edgeportions located, respectively, at the lower edge of the body section, at the upper edge of the first mentioned lip section, and at both the upper and lower edges of the folded second lip section, each of said reinforced edge portions comprising a plurality of warp yarns grouped together so that the weft yarns pass over all of said warp yarns without passing therebetween.

3. A girdle comprising a woven tubular member which completely encircles the body of the wearer, saidmember comprising a single set of vertically extending weft yarns and a plurality of sets of circumferentially extending warp yarns interwoven with the weft yarns to define three integral sections including a body section, a first lip section joining the upper edge of the body section and a second lip section joining the upper edge of the first lip section, both lip sections being of substantial width and the second lip section being folded to lie opposite the first lip section and being secured in place to provide a two-ply waist band forming the entire upper circumferential marginal portion of the garment, said girdle being further characterized in that each lip section includes warp yarns which are finer and lighter in weight as compared with the warp yarns in the body section.

4. A girdle comprising a woven tubular member which completely encircles the body of the wearer, said member comprising a, single set of vertically extending weft yarns and a plurality of sets of circumferentially extending warp yarns interwoven with the weft yarns to define three integral sections including a body section, a first lip section joining the upper edge of the body section and a second lip section joining the upper edge of the first lip section, both lip sections being of substantial width and the second lip section being folded to lie opposite the first lip section and being secured in place to provide a two-ply waist band forming the entire upper circumferential marginal portion of the garment, said girdle being further characterized in that each lip section includes two sets of warp yarns, the yarns of one set being made of elastically stretchable material and the yarns of the other set being substantially non-stretchable and finer and lighter in nature as compared with such elastically stretchable yarns, said girdle being further characterized in that the non-stretchable yarns of each lip section are finer and lighter in weight as compared with the warp yarns in the body section.

5. A girdle comprising a woven tubular member which completely encircles the body of the wearer, said member comprising a single set of vertically extending weft yarns and a plurality of sets of circumferentially extending warp yarns interwoven with the weft yarns to define three integral sections including a body section, a first lip section joining the upper edge of the body section and a second lip section joining the upper edge of the first lip section, both lip sections being of substantial width and the second lip section being folded to lie opposite the first lip section and being secured in place to provide a two-ply waist band forming the entire upper circumferential marginal portion of the garment, said girdle being further characterized in that each lip section comprises two sets of warp yarns interwoven with the weft yarns of said section, the warp yarns of one set being made of material possessing considerable elastic stretch and the warp yarns of the other set being made of substantially non-stretchable material, the nonstretchable warp yarns of each lip section being arranged in pairs between adjacent stretchable warp yarns of each lip. section and being finer and lighter in weight as compared with said stretchable yarns, the weft yarns of each lip section passing in a single run over both of the non-stretchable warp yarns which are paired together between adjacent stretchable yarns, certain stretchable warp yarns of each lip section being also arranged in pairs so that the weft passes in a single run over both of the stretchable yarns so paired, the last mentioned stretchable yarns being located at certain edges of the lip sections.

LOUIS J. A. AMYOT. 

